Beauty and the Beast
by Ashen jar
Summary: Elizabeth is thrust into a difficult situation when her father makes an unfortunate deal. Loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. AU/ All Human. Eventual Spuffy. Rated for language and possible adult themes, just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note:

So, this is very loosely based on the beauty and the beast fairy tale and on a movie called "Belle and the Beast" I know that this is going to be Alternate Dimension, I'm still trying to figure what exactly. Let me know if you have a preference, or an idea, I might try to work it in. I guess that's it, enjoy the story!

Disclaimer:

I own nothing of great value, there the fabulous Joss Whedon and Co. own Buffy and it's affiliates. Phooey!

Beauty and the Beast

Chapter One

Elizabeth hummed softly under her breath as she moved about the kitchen preparing dinner. Her father would be home soon, and she was busy making sure that he would be greeted with a good tasty meal; she knew he enjoyed it after working hard all day. Elizabeth appreciated how hard he worked, but she worried that he was going to make himself ill if he continued to work at the grueling pace that he set for himself. After the death of his wife- Elizabeth's mother- a few years earlier, Henry Summers had thrown himself into his work, almost as if he was attempting to ignore the pain of losing his wife.

Sadly, he seemed to forget that his daughters had lost someone precious also, in the same way that he had lost someone. In his grief, he had failed to notice how much of his daughter's lives he was missing.

Elizabeth sighed to herself, as she heard the front door slam behind the whirlwind that was her younger sister Dawn. Dawn was a handful these days, always getting into trouble of some sort or another, and it seemed that she had an endless supply of energy, much like her bottomless pit of hunger that Elizabeth couldn't seem to fill, no matter how much she fed her. Not that food was scarce, it was just not completely abundant. Despite how hard her father worked, times were tough, and Elizabeth had to keep a very strict budget.

Elizabeth shook her head as if to clear away her less than cheerful thoughts so that she could properly greet her sister. And not a moment too soon, for the energetic person in question had just bounced into the kitchen, youthful face aglow in excitement.

"Hello, Elizabeth!" Dawn was apparently in a happier frame of mind than her older sister. "You will never guess what I learned! Karen's older brother Angel is coming back next week. You know how he's been away for so long? Well, he is gonna be back for good now, he's gonna run his father's store. Isn't it awesome?" Dawn looked expectantly at her sister, hoping for an excited response.

Elizabeth felt a funny feeling in her stomach. She and Angel had at one time been sweet on each other, but he had gone off to the university, while she had stayed home. A lot could happen in four years, would he even like her anymore? Did she like him still, or was she past that?

Suddenly Elizabeth realised that Dawn was still staring at her, waiting for a response. "Dawn, sometimes people grow apart, I don't want you to get your hopes up about me and Angel, anyway, I thought you didn't like him?"

Dawn grinned, "Oh trust me I don't like him at all!" She grew serious, "It's just that you seem so sad these days, and I thought he might make you laugh again…" She trailed off forlornly.

Elizabeth reached out and tucked a strand of Dawn's hair behind the girl's ear; "Oh sweetie, I know you want to help, but I really don't want a man in my life right now. Huh, that's probably the very last thing I could use, on top of everything else going on in my life! You just worry about keeping yourself out of trouble, and that will make me happy."

"Alright, if you're sure." Dawn didn't look very convinced. Suddenly, they were both startled by the slam of the front door. Both girls glanced at each other, then hurried into the living room and both stopped at the sight of their father standing there with a shell-shocked expression on his face.

"Daddy what's wrong?" Dawn exclaimed as Elizabeth hurried to help him to a chair.

He looked at both of the girls, slowly as if he were a very old man, and in that moment he looked like it. He reached a shaking hand out and grabbed hold of Elizabeth's fingers; "Oh, Elizabeth. I have made a terrible mistake and ruined everything, and you are the one who is going to suffer for it!"

TBC?

Author's note:

So should I continue? Is it any good at all and would anyone like me to continue? If you do, leave me a review! And yes, I am shamelessly begging...


	2. Chapter 2

Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 2

Elizabeth stared at her father, panic building in her chest; what could have caused him such anxiety? Henry wasn't known for being overly dramatic or emotional, for him to be so upset there had to be a very good reason!

She rubbed her thumb reassuringly across his hand. "What is the matter? What terrible thing has occurred?"

He took a deep breath as if to fortify himself for the ordeal. How was he going to tell his daughter that he had basically just signed her life away, that her future was no longer in her control?

"I was out and about today, and I heard that there was a need for someone to go and work at the mansion, just for general maintenance and repairs, little things, you know?" He paused, composing himself, "So I went and the lady who cooks at the mansion told me what needed to be done. Well, as I was working, I accidentally broke a little vase that was sitting on a table in the foyer."

At this point Elizabeth and Dawn exchanged confused glances. A vase? Surely that wasn't that horrific an occurrence. But their father continued on, not even noticing their confusion.

"Right as the vase hit the floor, HE came walking through the door!"

Dawn jumped in her excitement; "The Beast Daddy, was it the Beast?"

"Dawn!" Elizabeth frowned at her sister's rudeness, "I don't care what other people may say, but there is no reason for you to be mean!"

Dawn humphed loudly then turned toward her father as Henry continued, "He was so angry, and he was yelling and then he threatened to have me thrown in prison! I told him I needed to be able to work or my daughters would have no one to provide for them, but he just continued yelling at me. Then suddenly he stopped and asked about you girls. He wanted to know if you really loved me and then, he said he wouldn't have me taken away on one condition. My eldest daughter has to come and work for him until he thinks the debt is paid off! I don't know what to do, I can't let you got here but if I don't..."

He trailed off, looking at Elizabeth, his face so forlorn and sad. Elizabeth knew what this proposed arrangement would mean; the Beast was known far and wide for his explosive temper and eccentric lifestyle. The fact that no one ever saw him merely added to the rumours of his strangeness. But she couldn't let her father be thrown in prison, when all it would take to prevent such a horrible thing would be for her to work for this strange man, this Beast! After all, how difficult would it be?

In that moment Elizabeth made up her mind. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin defiantly. "I'll do it. I will go and work for the Beast."

Henry shook his head, as Dawn gasped out loud. Both of them spoke at once, "No, Elizabeth," Her father's voice was firm. "I can't let you do this…"

"Elizabeth, you can't, he's so mean…"

Elizabeth cut them both off; "I will do this, there is no other option." Her face showed her resolve as she stood and wiped her hands briskly on her apron. "We are done with discussion. I don't want to hear anymore about this, it is my decision to make. Anyway, It is dinner time."

TBC

**Authors note: Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for the reviews, it really means a lot! Also, sorry for the long time it took for me to update, midterms got in the way... Anyway, hope you are enjoying this, let me know what you think! Reviews are my encouragement to write!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everybody! So very sorry I have taken so long in updating, my schoolwork keeps getting in the way. But I will try to be better about updating more often!

Chapter 3

Dinner was a subdued affair, to say the least. Each member of the family was wrapped tightly in their own thoughts, each person seemingly isolated from the rest of the group as they attempted to process everything that had occurred. Elizabeth wondered what in the world she had been thinking when she said she would go and work for the Beast- because really it was sounding more and more frightening by the minute! She only hoped it wouldn't be as bad as she was afraid it was going to be.

Across the table, Dawn looked at her with a somber expression, silently giving Elizabeth comfort and support. Elizabeth smiled back at her sister, promising that it would be fine. She only wished that she felt as reassured as she hoped to make her sister.

The Beast's mansion loomed head of Elizabeth, tall and imposing in the early morning light. With trailing vines wrapping around the front and mist rising behind, it was indeed a formidable sight. But, Elizabeth knew what she had to do, so she squared her shoulders, took a deep breathe and raised her hand to the heavy knocker in the middle of the door.

_BOOM BOOM BOOM! _The loud noise was startling in the quietness of the morning, and Elizabeth jumped. She didn't have time to even compose herself before the heavy door swung open before her to reveal a kindly-looking older woman.

The woman smiled and gestured for Elizabeth to enter. "You must be Elizabeth, come right in! I'm Joyce, the housekeeper." Elizabeth looked up in awe as she followed the lady into the mansion.

"It is so gigantic! I mean, yeah, big house, but I never thought it would be this big!" Elizabeth blushed as she realised what she had said.

Joyce smiled as she led the embarrassed Elizabeth down the hall to the large kitchen. She motioned for Elizabeth to sit and then handed her a mug of hot chocolate.

"Yes, it is a big house… too big for just one person if you ask me! But, Mr. Pratt likes to be alone. He should be in soon, and you can meet him. Now don't let him bully you, he can be a bit of overbearing at times"

Just then, as though Joyce's words had been summoning, a door opened loudly down the hall. Elizabeth gulped, and prepared herself to meet the Beast. She wasn't feeling very confident at all, despite the kindness Joyce had shown toward her, and now every horror story she had ever heard about the meanness of this man was flashing through her mind, adding to her discomfort.

She thought that she had prepared herself for anything, but when HE came around the corner, she couldn't stop herself from gasping aloud. No one in the village had ever mentioned how gorgeous the Beast was! She let her gaze travel from his beautiful expressive blue eyes, across his ivory skin and over his astounding cheekbones, then her eyes fixed on his mouth, where his full lips were curving in a derisive smirk.

He laughed as he noticed her staring at him. "My eyes are up here, pet, but feel free to peruse!"

Elizabeth could feel her face flare with heat as she blushed at being caught staring. '_Ooh, I hate this man!' _She thought to herself, _"As if he is God's gift to women!" _A rebellious voice at the back of mind whispered that he _was _gorgeous, but she determined that she hated him, and clamped a lid on on those wayward thoughts. And anyway, she was here to do a job, not drool over him.

So, she smiled and said, in a voice that was surprisingly normal, "Hello, I am Elizabeth. I've come to work for you to pay off my father's dept."

He looked at her, as if he were sizing up a steak at a butchers, and then said dismissively: "Well, I suppose you could be useful, even though you're small."

Elizabeth wanted to slap the smirk off his face; the nerve of him! But as she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, Joyce beat her to it. The woman, who had seemed so sweet and motherly, turned out to have a disciplinarian side to her that made Elizabeth smile. The look on his face as Joyce berated him was priceless.

"William!" Joyce waved her wooden spoon at him to emphasize her point, "That is no way to behave! I don't care who you are talking to, you need to show some respect! Elizabeth is here work for you, but that doesn't mean you can be rude and inconsiderate of her!"

William looked suitably chastened. He turned to Elizabeth, mortification written plainly across his face as he tried to salvage what was left of his dignity. "Very well," He said abruptly, "I'll refrain from making unnecessarily rude comments to you _miss _Elizabeth. Now I've got work to do, are you gonna stay in the kitchen, or come 'n help me?"

With that, he stomped out of the kitchen in a whirl of injured feelings. Joyce and Elizabeth shared a rueful smile, then Elizabeth turned and headed toward the door he had just gone through, wondering not for the first time just what she had gotten herself into.

TBC


End file.
